Tuesday 30 May 2017

aren'tyoungpeoplewonderful

The CSM final show part 1 was an interesting one - The BA was very full and had some really considered video work combined with lots of I must guess purposely badly made work - new punk? all about how individuals feel about personally about stuff. The MA Fine Art was good with a seemingly large focus on pornography and war. It is interesting to think of the final year shows as a form of litmus test as to what young people are interested in. The year 2 fine art show at Chelsea was full of vibrant exciting work. It felt broader and slightly more considered than the CSM show even though it was only year 2.

Crawling through Netflick's 13 reasons - I know, I know but it is as most 'box sets' are slightly addictive - it appears to be a show about parents fear of their children and children's fear of themselves therefore each other.    


A day of interesting presentations at Camberwell - symposium 2 is always a fantastic occasion where the growth of individuals during their time on the course is made evident within their presentation. Then onto Chelsea to see and crit an exhibition in the library of work created around the fold. all good

Wednesday 24 May 2017

anticipatingthenearandfarfuture

finally got round to watching T2 Trainspotting -  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2763304/ just so sad, something about the loss of hope with the passage of time - their youth, even if hopeless did appear to have optimism but later it's all about despair. But it's quite mesmerising and Danny did not let us down because it was important that it was good. Venice Biennale gets closer I can hardly contain myself but getting tickets for Pulse https://www.wolseytheatre.co.uk/pulse-festival/ will keep me going - suitcase day is always a winner having the opportunity to see half formed thoughts tested out - looking forward to seeing how last year's winner, Tell me Anything by www.ontheruntheatre.co.uk has been developed, although everybody is talking about Golem but just I'm looking forward to seeing a mass of theatre and the Wolsey Theatre is such a great place to see work. On the podcast front I have to recommend reply all https://gimletmedia.com/reply-all/ it's all about the wonders of the web - there will be stuff in there you have no idea about but it is happening now and it is about to take over your world.

Friday 19 May 2017

womentalkingandfastcars

Back from a conference where I spoke about my role as artist in residence at NanoDTC - for more information check out my other blog which covers the project 
http://unfoldingthinking.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/talkingwithteachers.html before getting on a train I managed to see the latest show at the glorious Raven Row - 56 Artillery Lane http://www.ravenrow.org/current/ explores notions of home - the stand out work for me was a woman's place a film by liberation films made in 1974 http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6d544432 it's an extraordinary document in so many ways. The content is a fantastic slice of social history - strong women attempting to challenge societal norms - men depicted as helplessly fools failing to run the crèche whilst mansplaining but then you have the camera angles and interview techniques to contend with as well as the chronological indicators of fashion and social fabric - all in glorious black and white. There is also the rare treat is access to the top flat that is preserved in a time warp - it was like stepping back in time into my Great Aunts house in the 1970s. And then there was fast and furious 8 - oh dear, maybe not the best......

Thursday 18 May 2017

wonderfullybleak

got to see La ribot at The Place - wonderful - she is a force - all the frenzied, sexy, controlled, disturbing elements came together in a forceful show of negotiated shame - wow
a day in London - some of the shows -  At the Tate in the Art Now room Together (Forever) by Lucy Beech and Edward Thomasson is a great performance film - something extraordinary is created from something seemingly insignificant. Odd that this is the 3rd performance in in a row I've seen that used acting skills around fighting - is there something in the air)? at Sadie Coles Jordan Wolfson has work in both spaces - you have to see both - the film in HQ is disturbingly transgressive but the VR in Davies street is truly disturbing in a shocking way. And what excellent sculptures. Tenderpixels has a cracking show with a range of artists responding to a book about a chess playing girl. Annette Messager is at Marian Goodman - highlight - the womb wallpaper room is excellent. 

Monday 15 May 2017

witnesseverything

witness at Dance East was a tender and moving dance piece exploring mental health http://www.companychameleon.com/ there were some truly extraordinary moments of dance moves - I wish they had trusted their dance and not spoken - their movements communicated everything....
a quick jaunt to the Norfolk and Norwich Festival to see Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. could it possibly be a new genre 'fly on the wall theatre'? editing choice control truth and theatre as a mirror were topics of conversation 'post show' - It must of been life changing to be part of the experience for the participants - Summer was great with audience participant conversations and in Autumn I had my first tarot reading - an 'interesting' experience.

With the discovery http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5155780/  afterlife - what happens there and where is it? is at the fore and can we get there and if we can should we? lots of meaningful questions about destiny...win it all http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3155328/?ref_=nv_sr_1 don't do it no no no just don't do it.

Wednesday 10 May 2017

returningcanbeasgoodasanticipation

first saw the strange undoing of prudential hart by the National Theatre of Scotland at Latitude Festival a couple of years ago Eastern Angles did it above a pub in Ipswich - it's a cracking night out - they are in the middle of a tour - catch it while you can. https://easternangles.co.uk/whats-on  I've already excitedly got my ticket to see La Ribot at the place but she is also at Cambridge Junction - it has to be a must see. We have a chair by her in our house and think about the extraordinary performances she has developed with it. thinking about anticipation the new blade runner http://www.imdb.com/list/ls053181649/videoplayer/vi245020953?ref_=hm_vd_br49_i_1 has it in spades....

Tuesday 9 May 2017

objectsspeakingfromthepast

 First stop Halesworth Museum, housed in the train station -  http://halesworthmuseum.org.uk/wpress/  drop in to speak with the helpful and generally nice people who work there amongst the objects - it's new display this season focuses on schools and has some excellent objects that speak of the experience called education that is the brutalisation of socialising young children into society - next onto the wonderful Lowestoft museum http://lowestoftmaritimemuseum.co.uk/ an extraordinary space crammed with objects embedded with experience. There is so much information and the people working there were so friendly. I spent time looking at the half models used to create the full size boats and the intriguing marks on the floor of a boat builders created whist forming the vast hulls.

you need to see the latest Jon Rafmam video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-AUav-zLeo working with second life and the dangers of everything youth orientated! personal shopper http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4714782/ unsure what it is - psychological horror via texting maybe?  

Monday 8 May 2017

abandonedibiza

After a short break in Ibiza getting back feels decidedly chilly. Spent some time wandering around abandoned developments in stunningly beautiful spaces in the North of the island. Off season Portinatx was extraordinarily easygoing, I always love the feel of an area as it wakes up after it's off season. Back - watching meanwhile Affleck in Manchester by the Sea http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4034228/ is crippling, carrying the weight of inconceivable pain. ghost in the shell http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219827/?ref_=nv_sr_1 has some extraordinary special effects and connects to many 'sci-fi' tropes and there is the large issue of gender, culture assignment and nipples!